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The Odd Truth, June 7, 2003

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

Porn In The Classroom

AMERICAN FORK, Utah - What do you do with your pornos if you don't want to keep them at home? The answer for one teacher was the take the X-rated videos to school. Officials at Utah's American Fork Junior High School say the unnamed teacher has resigned. Maintenance workers found three duffel bags filled with the porn tapes hidden above ceiling tiles. School administrators say there's no indication that any kids got a look at the X-rated videos. The teacher won't be prosecuted. One police official says while stashing porn tapes at a school may not be appropriate - it's not illegal.

Cows At Play

BANGOR, Pennsylvania - Sankar Sastri calls out to his nine cows who romp around his farm like children at play.

But it's not just any old farm. The animals live on a cow sanctuary, one of a scattered web of safe havens across the country protecting the animals from slaughter. Cows are considered holy by Hindus and adored by some animal lovers.

For Indians and Hindus, cows are a religious and practical cornerstone of life. Milk is used for nourishment, dung for fuel and cow urine for medicinal purposes. Cows are not used for meat.

Sastri owns a quiet, 42-acre sanctuary for the cows in Pennsylvania. And now the sanctuary has become the solution to a legal battle in Angelica, New York, where a family will soon be moving with their cows so they can worship at will.

Stephen Voith and his family are followers of a form of Krishna Consciousness, whose followers protect cows. A court this week told the family it cannot keep cows on its village property because of zoning rules.

Stuffed Owl Border Stop

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The owners of a stuffed owl seized at the U.S.-Canadian border say they won't give up the fight with the government over ownership.

John Woodfine said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wants him and James Faso to donate the stuffed great gray owl to the Buffalo Zoo. The men want to return it to Woodfine's uncle in Ontario, who gave it to them as a gift.

The case has made its way into federal court, where it is known as the United States of America v. One Stuffed Great Gray Owl.

Federal officials said the owl, dead or alive, is a member of a protected species of migratory birds and cannot be brought into the United States without a permit.

"This is ridiculous. ... We'll fight this in the courts as long as we have to," Woodfine told The Buffalo News in Thursday's editions.

The owl was seized at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in August. The men were returning from a bear hunting camp in northern Ontario run by Woodfine's uncle.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Hugh Scott met with all parties last week in an attempt to settle the case. Another meeting is scheduled June 11.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kaufman said he could not comment on details of the settlement discussions.

'Nemo' Spurs Sewage Company Flush Warning

COSTA MESA, Calif. - Kids be warned: Flushing your pet fish down the drain will not send it safely into the ocean as depicted in the new computer-animated movie "Finding Nemo."

A company that manufactures equipment used to process sewage issued a news release Thursday warning that drain pipes do lead to the ocean - eventually - but first the fluid goes through powerful machines that "shred solids into tiny particles."

"In truth, no one would ever find Nemo and the movie would be called 'Grinding Nemo,'" wrote the JWC Environmental company, which makes the trademarked "Muffin Monster" shredding pumps.

In the unlikely event Nemo survived the deadly machines, the company added, he would probably be killed by the chlorine disinfection.

Lithuanians Enjoy Crow-Eating Revival

VILNIUS, Lithuania - A squawking, garbage-loving nuisance in most countries, the wild crow is under attack in Lithuania not for its reputation, but for its tender meat.

A revival of sorts is enveloping part of the Baltic state of 3.5 million, a dietary demand that more Lithuanians eat crow.

"It may sound like an oddity to many," Audrius Gudzinskas, a 44-year-old Lithuanian lawyer leading the back-to-crow movement, told The Associated Press Friday. "But believe me, those birds are really tasty."

The dish was a common sight on the tables of Medieval noblemen who presided over Lithuania's monarchy, then one of Europe's most powerful. The marinated dish was also embraced by impoverished peasants as a cheap and plentiful food source.

Gudzinskas said the traditional meal of crow remained widespread as late as the 1930s but died out after the Soviet occupation, which lasted from 1940 to 1991.

The dish is prepared now as it was then, boiled in cooking oil over a bonfire and served with various vegetables. The younger the birds the better. Crows that are still in the nest and unable to fly are considered delicacies and "taste like quail."

Several dozen of the unlikely connoisseurs planned to gather for a crow cookout Saturday in Pakruojis, 99 miles north of the capital, Vilnius.

"Pakruojis will become the capital of the crow eaters," he said.

Some crow-meat lovers recently helped to produce a new light beer called "Young Raven," to wash down the fowl food with.

Raccoon Lured From Tower With Hot Dog

NEW YORK - Stranded for two weeks atop a 253-foot amusement park tower at Coney Island, a wayward raccoon was finally lured to safety with — what else? — a Nathan's Famous hot dog.

"But without the sauerkraut," said Mark Blumenthal, manager of the Astroland Amusement Park, after the masked marauder was lowered to the ground in a special cage Tuesday.

Dubbed Rocky by park employees, the raccoon had climbed to the pinnacle of the observation tower two weeks ago and burgled the elevator motor room — out of fear or an appreciation for the sweeping, 50-mile view of the Atlantic Ocean and four states.

The raccoon was first spotted two weeks ago by an elevator maintenance worker who saw "a pair of eyes looking at him" from the darkness of the motor room, Astroland employee Carol O'Donnell said.

In a check of the tower a few days later there was no sign of the animal. But last weekend, it was spotted anew, and officials at Astroland, home of the Cyclone roller coaster, decided a rescue was in order.

Blumenthal said the raccoon apparently had scaled a narrow metal ladder inside the tower. "The problem was how we were going to get him down," he said.

Astroland employee Manuel Alvarez took an animal-friendly Have-a-Heart cage, baited with the hot dog and some cat food, to the top of the tower. During the night, the hungry 9-pound procyon lotor walked into the cage, bit the bait and was snared, Blumenthal said.

Sputnik As Conversation Piece?

MADISON, Wis. - Seeking a stylish Soviet satellite for the living room?

George Stauffer is selling a sputnik on his Web site for $39,000.

The site, which also promotes his classic car business in Blue Mounds, does not say if the satellite made it into space.

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I - the first man-made satellite in space - in October 1957. After 1,400 orbits of the Earth, it burned up in the atmosphere. The country later launched other much larger sputniks.

Stauffer said a friend at NASA in Florida obtained the sputnik for him from Russia. He said the friend sold him a second one that is still in its crate.

The crated one was taken out and displayed for six months at the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh. The first hangs in his car dealership.

Museum curator Alan Westby said the sputnik's authenticity was verified when it was displayed in 2001. Stauffer says it has an aluminum alloy orb 23 inches in diameter with four 86-inch antennas and has a letter of authenticity from a Russian museum director.

The Web site says it would make an excellent investment because of its importance in world history. "Any corporate lobby can have beautiful artwork - how many can boast a genuine satellite?"

Teen Tax Trouble

HARRISBURG, Pa. - When 17-year-old Laurie Hanniford worked as a part-time swim instructor three years ago, she made $316 and paid $3.16 in local taxes. Last month, she was fined $352 for not filing a local tax return.

Hanniford, a high school junior, pleaded no contest and got the fine reduced to $77. But the ensuing outrage from her parents and the parents of about two dozen teens who received the same treatment has prompted officials to consider softening the ordinance.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of to fine her - she was 14 at the time - for taxes that have already been paid," said the teenager's mother, Sarah Hanniford.

When Laurie read the certified letter containing the words "failure to comply will result in your arrest," she called home from the post office.

"She couldn't drive, she was crying so hard," her mother said.

The Capital Tax Collection Bureau sent three notices for Laurie to the Hannifords' Carlisle residence, asking her to file the return, said bureau director Bill Harbeson.

When the bureau didn't receive a response, it had a district justice issue a criminal complaint. The Hannifords said they received no notices. Harbeson said many people think the letters are junk mail.

Township Council Chairman Tom Faley said he would try to persuade lawmakers to exempt those who make less than $2,000 from taxes. State law already allows tax exemptions for those earning less than $10,000.

After rifling the tellers' drawers, a bank robber on Monday bolted to the waiting getaway car.

The car wouldn't start.

The driver didn't move but the holdup man jumped out and tried to steal a car parked in the lot. When that failed, he ran into a home, where he tried to steal the keys to another car. Still no luck.

Then he ran to Interstate 90, where he tried to flag down cars and trucks. The only response he got was from the police.

One officer said it all was pretty stupid, adding "I don't think we're dealing with geniuses here."

Farmers Strip For Justice

MEXICO CITY - Seeking publicity - and getting it - dozens of farmers from the southeastern state of Veracruz stripped to their underwear at a national monument to demand official action against a former governor.

The protest at the Angel of Independence on Mexico City's busy Paseo de la Reforma boulevard caused horn-honking and laughter among passers-by on Wednesday.

"We are stripping because it is the only way to get attention," said Agustin Morales, a 45-year-old farmer. "We don't have money to buy an ad in the newspapers."

The farmers, members of the Movement of 400 Peoples, accuse former Veracruz Gov. Patricio Chirinos of unjustifiably ordering the seizure of lands and mass arrests.

Misspelling Leads To Bomb Threat Arrest

NAPAVINE, Washington - A misspelled bomb threat has led to the arrest of a worker known for his poor spelling.

The 19-year-old worked as a maintenance man at a gas station in Napavine, Washington. He was about to get fired after a heated argument with co-workers.

A device that looked like a bomb was found in a closet at the station. It had a note that said "The bom will bloe if you touch it."

Police were told the maintenance man often misspelled words.

Now he's being charged with "malicious placement of an imitation explosive device."

Mom Drives Daughter To Work, At Strip Club

EL PASO, Texas - Good mom drives her teen-aged daughter to work. Bad mom drives her teen-aged daughter to work — at a strip club. That's the gist of the case against an El Paso, Texas, woman. Vice officers say the woman drove her 15-year-old daughter to work at Exotica, a strip club. Police say the underage girl has been performing nude, topless and also in lingerie. Neither the girl nor the mother has been named by authorities. The club manager says he didn't know the girl was a minor. The mother is charged with employment harmful to children. It's a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Mattson found a computer the size of a pinky in the fish's belly, and a tag with a phone number on its back.

He dialed the number, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission took the call.

Biologist Bill Mattes says it was only the eighth computer returned among 124 planted in November-2001 by the commission — which represents eleven tribes dedicated to protecting natural resources.

The tiny computers were implanted into lake trout originally caught off the Keweenaw Peninsula in Upper Michigan.

They record water depth and temperature every 15 seconds. They'll tell researchers what kind of water the lake trout like, and what temperature they spend their time in.

Mattson ate the fish before realizing he was supposed to return the whole thing to Mattes. He still got a $100 reward for returning the computer.

Crying Fowl

BEIJING - A nature park in northern China has drawn complaints by allowing visitors to use real guns to kill baby chickens.

"The animals killed are all domestic fowl," said an official at the Mianjiang Mountain Park in Dandong, a city in the northeastern province of Liaoning, who gave his surname as Li.

The state-run newspaper Beijing Evening News said residents questioned by a reporter complained that the shooting was upsetting children visiting the park, as well as protected species housed nearby.

"When the bullets dropped, the small animals were terrified," the report said.

Although shooting domestic animals and fowl is not illegal, Qin Hailong of the Wild Animal Protection Office of Dandong's Forestry Bureau, said his office was negotiating with the park on closing the feature.

A Rich Future At Age 90

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - At age 90, Luis Salazar has a rich future. He's won a $16 million lottery jackpot. Florida lottery officials think he's their oldest winner ever. Salazar had the choice of taking a $10 million-plus lump sum payment or 30 annual payments of more than $500,000 each. He's opted to take the cash payout. Salazar says he'll donate some money to his church, spend some on his grandkids and family, and maybe do some traveling.

Topless Train Hang

HOQUIAM, Washington - Hanging upside down from a moving train isn't bad enough. Police in Washington state charge that a woman was doing it topless. Robin Bishop faces a number of counts after being arrested early Monday. Police say she was spotted by a train engineer hanging from a ladder on the rear of a moving train. According to police, she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and nothing else. Police say she hit one officer with a rock and tried to escape when they arrested her. Officers suspect she may have been drinking.

Authorities have charged Shannon Denney with outraging public decency and public morals. The center has since closed.

Prosecutors say the three-month-old girl was crying and giving her a bottle didn't calm her down.

The state Department of Human Services, which licenses daycare centers, has no policy addressing breast-feeding someone else's child because, in the words of a spokesman says it's "something that today you don't even think about."

The International La Leche League promotes breast-feeding but says it discourages women from nursing another woman's child because viruses can be transmitted through breast milk.

The Cat Came Back

STANTON - A cat belonging to a west Michigan woman is expected to recover after being shot through the head with two arrows.

Jamie Muniz says her eight-year-old cat, Debo, had been missing about a week when it returned to her home Friday.

The Stanton woman says the arrows were sticking diagonally through his head. But Muniz says Debo didn't act like much was wrong - he was simply meowing and looking for his food.

The arrows were surgically removed Monday. Debo ended up losing one of his eyes. If all goes well, he'll be back home in a few days.

Police are looking for whoever shot Debo. The person responsible could be charged with animal cruelty, a felony that carries up to four years in prison.

D.I.Y. Cruise Missile

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Using hi-tech parts bought over the Internet, a New Zealand handyman says he is building a cruise missile in his garage and has a message for anyone who wants to do the same: You don't have to be a rocket scientist.

Bruce Simpson says he's planning to give step-by-step instructions via a Web site on how to make the jet-powered missile, which he claims would be able to fly the 60 miles between his home and Auckland in less than 15 minutes, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported Tuesday.

The missile could carry a small warhead weighing 22 pounds, and Simpson claimed the air force would have no way of stopping it.

Simpson, 49, who works as an Internet site developer, said that his missile project, which he says will cost less than $2,850, was intended to warn governments how easy it would be for terrorists to build one.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment on whether they were investigating Simpson's project, but said they were "now aware of the situation."

Simpson said he's working toward a testing firing of the missile by mid-July. He has approached the air force for permission to a carry out a test flight, and for them to oversee it.

The Herald said Simpson has already tested several noisy jet engines on a bench in his garage, something his neighbors could confirm.

New Zealand's air force did not immediately comment.

Former U.S. Defense Department analyst and terrorism expert Paul Buchanan said Simpson may not be trying to encourage terrorism, but "might be facilitating it."

One Foot In The Grave

SULTAN, Wash. - When Dorothy VerValen stepped on her grandfather's grave at the Sultan Cemetery to scrape moss from the headstone, she sank.

Her right foot crashed down into what was left of Harry Smith's 53-year-old coffin. Her left ankle, which stayed above ground, was fractured.

"I thought I was in a Stephen King movie," VerValen, who lives in Kalispell, Mont., said, recalling that day at the cemetery in March 2000. "I literally had one foot in the grave."

VerValen's daughter helped drag her mother, who weighed 375 pounds at the time, out of the sinkhole and she limped back to her car.

Now, VerValen, 51, is suing the city of Sultan, alleging negligence and seeking unspecified damages for injuries, legal costs and emotional distress.

"They know sinkholes happen, especially in pre-1960s graves," said Robert Butler, a Bellingham lawyer representing VerValen. "They're not doing anything to prevent it from happening."

Diana Blakney, a Mercer Island lawyer representing the city of Sultan, said it is not the city's duty to inspect every square inch of the cemetery to make sure it is safe.

She cited the state Recreational Use Act as a reason why VerValen's lawsuit should be dismissed. Like many parks, the cemetery is open 24 hours a day, does not charge visitors a fee and visitors are generally responsible for their own safety.

Police Officer Mistaken For Stripper

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A police officer arriving at a bachelorette party because of a noise complaint was mistaken as the entertainment.

The partygoers thought Gainesville Police Officer Jamie Hope was the stripper, and they didn't realize he was legitimate until he drove away with the bride-to-be in handcuffs.

"When he was taking her to his car, everyone thought he was the stripper and everyone said, 'OK, the warning has gone far enough. Are you going to start stripping?"' Kameg said.

The 30-year-old Hope, a married, six-year veteran of the force, was dispatched to the party early Sunday because of a noise complaint.

He issued a noise warning, and as part of procedure, he also ran a warrants check on the bride-to-be. That's when he found that the 24-year-old woman had an outstanding warrant for a violation of probation involving an almost 2-year-old open-container citation.

Court records show she had failed to pay $11 in connection with the citation, resulting in the probation violation and a warrant. The woman's bond set Sunday at $11, and she was released.

Said Hope: "I told her about the open container. Her friends, they were saying, 'I'm sure he's joking.' I guess she was waiting for somebody to tell her the joke was over. I don't think it hit home until we were actually in the car."

Don't Feed The Lobsters

CANANDAIGUA, New York - Joel Freedman is a lobster lover. But he doesn't want to eat them, he wants to feed lobsters. Police ordered Freedman out of a supermarket in the Finger Lakes area of New York, after he bought a pound of scallops and fed them to the lobsters. Freedman says he felt sorry for the crustaceans crammed into a tank. Following a heated argument, store employees called the cops. The manager of the Wegmans supermarket contends that dumping scallops into the lobster tank would do more harm than good. But Freedman says as far as he's concerned, he was obeying the law. Police warned the animal rights activist that he would be arrested if he's spotted in the store again.

Lutheran Priest: 'God Doesn't Exist'

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A Lutheran priest was suspended Tuesday after his remarks that God doesn't exist and there is no eternal life rankled many of his peers in Denmark's state church.

Thorkild Grosboel, the pastor of Taarbaek, a town of 51,000 just north of the capital, Copenhagen, said in a recent interview that "there is no heavenly God, there is no eternal life, there is no resurrection."

The claims have mystified church leaders in the Scandinavian country of 5.3 million, where about 85 percent of the population belongs to the state Evangelical Lutheran Church, yet just 5 percent attend church services regularly.

Lise-Lotte Rebel, bishop of the Helsingoer diocese, which includes Taarbaek, said Grosboel's comments "caused confusion" within the church.

"There should be no doubt that priests have committed themselves to act within the church's confession of faith," she said.

After meeting with Grosboel Tuesday, the bishop demanded he retract his comments and apologize. She also suspended him from his duties as town pastor.

Grosboel declined to comment, but will meet with Rebel again next week in her diocese in Helsingoer, 22 miles north of Copenhagen.

Many priests, including Tove Fergo, the minister for ecclesiastic affairs and a Lutheran priest herself, have said it's not possible to be a pastor without believing in the existence of God and the resurrection of Christ.

Others, however, including Mogens Lindhardt, the leader of Denmark's Theological College of Education, called Grosboel's claims "refreshing."

Picasso Print Left On Subway, Returned To Owner

NEW YORK - A framer who absent-mindedly left two works of art on a subway platform — including an original Picasso print — was reunited with his lost property on Monday.

William Bailey, 63, breathed a sigh of relief as he took back the works belonging to a client — a Picasso rendering of two male figures and a $6,500 recreation of the painter's "Guernica" by Henri Matisse's great-granddaughter, Sophie Matisse.

Abi Boutrous, who received a $1,000 reward, said he was given the portfolio by two homeless men who found it on the platform and, not realizing what it was, decided they had no use for it.

Abi Boutrous said he took the portfolio home and only realized what he had when he read about Bailey's plight in a newspaper.

"We didn't realize what it was until we saw it in the paper, and I was, like, `Wow! What's this doing in my house?"' said Abi Boutrous' son Philip Abi Boutrous.

There was no estimate of the Picasso's value.

Alien Baby Hoax

CASPER, Wyoming - The headline raised some eyebrows, but authorities in Wyoming and Colorado say there's no alien baby in Casper.

The Weekly World News tabloid said Casper rancher Phil Merleson found the scaly skinned infant on the floor of his barn May Seventh.

The story added that mysterious lights were seen in the area the previous night and a humming sound was heard coming from the barn.

Natrona County Sheriff Mark Benton and the FBI say the story is humorous, but untrue.

The paper says it heard about the story from the Merlesons themselves. But no one by that name is listed in the Casper phone book or on the Internet.

145,000 Cases Of Rum Dumped

MEYERSDALE, Penn. - Environmental officials in Pennsylvania are considering levying fines and other penalties against whoever dumped more than 145,000 cases of stagnant rum at a western Pennsylvania farm.

Thousands of cases of discontinued Captain Morgan Gold was found piled on a farm in Elk Lick Township, about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh near the Maryland border.

According to state officials, the liquor was discontinued last August by London-based Diageo, which hired Houston-based shipping company Satellite Logistics to dispose of some of the 4 million cases of the rum left over.

A state official says it was a mess and a bad situation just waiting to get worse.

After discovering the illegal dumping, state environmental officials said Satellite Logistics quickly cleaned up the mess. The alcohol was taken to landfills within a week.

Singapore To Rate Toilets

SINGAPORE - Singapore plans to rate public toilets using a five-star system similar to that used to grade hotels as part of a new campaign called "Happy Toilet," an official said Monday.

Auditors will rate toilets on cleanliness, layout and ergonomics, said Jack Sim, president of the Singapore Restroom Association, which developed the rating system alongside the Health Ministry.

"We came up with this program because today when you go to a public toilet you do not know what to expect inside," Sim said. "Sometimes you are very happy, but sometimes you are very shocked — disgusted."

"When toilets are clean, people are happy and healthy," he added.

Plaques bearing star ratings will soon appear outside many of Singapore's 70,000 public toilets, which are found in food courts, shopping centers, industrial buildings and army barracks, Sim said.

The tightly controlled island nation of 4 million people is well known for its behavior improvement campaigns targeting gum chewing, spitting and people who don't flush toilets.

A three-star rating will mean a toilet is regularly cleaned and restocked with toilet paper, soap and paper towels. Restrooms that fail to meet the minimum three-star standard will receive no rating.

To received a five-star rating, a restroom has to have an especially well-designed layout so that traffic flows smoothly from the toilets to the sinks, Sim explained.

"It has to have a very good ambiance, probably with plants and pictures," Sim said.

The program is voluntary and rated restrooms will automatically be considered for the newly created Singapore Loo of the Year award, Sim said.

Taking The Dill Out Of Pickles

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - If you've noticed your pickles have less and less dill flavoring, you're not alone.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas' food science department say they've spotted a downward trend in one of America's favorite garnishes. Pickle makers, they said, aren't using as much dill as they used to.

"There may not really be much in their manufactured products," said Ron Buescher, who heads the department. "Some companies just don't want a lot of dill."

Evaluating the nation's pickle producers' products is the task of the university's pickle research program, founded in 1978 and funded by grants from Pickle Packers International, a trade group of the pickled vegetable industry.

The scientists measure the amount and type of dill contained in the products of about 90 percent of the country's pickle producers. They rate the pickles' dill content, flavor, texture and color, and provide confidential reports on how each company stacks up to the competition.

Buescher said last week that the downward trend of dill use goes back many years. It can partly be explained by regional tastes, like how Texans prefer a spicier pickle.

"So a dill pickle in California will taste different than a dill pickle out of New York City," said Richard Hentschel, executive vice president of Pickle Packers International, based in St. Charles, Ill.

Kissing Convict Caught On 'Kiss Cam'

CINCINNATI - A wanted man was arrested after his parole officer spotted him kissing his girlfriend in a live crowd shot displayed on the scoreboard at a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.

David Horton and his parole officer attended the same May 7 game when the smooching couple were caught by the "Kiss Cam" at Great American Ball Park.

The parole officer and a police officer arrested Horton, 24, in his front-row seat.

"Out of all the coincidences, we had 20 or 30,000 people at the ballpark and who do they put on the 'Kiss Cam'? And then, who is there but his parole officer?" said Richard Goldberg, Horton's attorney.

Horton, of Cincinnati, was convicted of felonious assault in 1999 for stabbing two men. He was granted release after serving two years of a four-year prison sentence.

Horton had been arrested March 27 and was indicted for trafficking and possession of cocaine. He is accused of failing to appear in court on those charges.